ELECTRIFYING FIGHT: EDISON V. WESTINGHOUSE
The Epic Battle to Light Up A
© 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2016
BY LUCY FELDMAN
ENLIGHTED Writer
ELECTRIFYING FIGHT: EDISON V. WESTINGHOUSEGraham Moore
IN THE
1880S, Thomas Edison and
ELECTRIFYING FIGHT: EDISON
V. LATE
WESTINGHOUSE
George Westinghouse were embroiled in a hisrecounts the lawsuit
toric legal battle over the right to produce a bilover the lightbulb
lion-dollar technology: the lightbulb. Edison acpatent through the
V. WESTINGHOUSE
cused Westinghouse, his rival inELECTRIFYING
American FIGHT: EDISONlawyer
for
electrification, of infringing on his lightbulb patWestinghouse’s
ent. To handle his defense, Westinghouse made
defense.
a surprising choice: Paul Cravath, then an unBY LUCY FELDMAN
26-year-old Columbia Law School
grad.
LUCY FELDMAN
Academy Award forBYBest
Adapted
By
Lucy Feldman tested
That history
sets the Writer
scene for “The Last
BY LUCY FELDMAN
ENLIGHTED Writer
ENLIGHTED
Screenplay
for
IN THE“The
LATE 1880S,Imitation
Thomas Edison and
Graham Moore
of Night,”
Graham
Moore’sGeorge
second
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were embroiled in a hisrecounts the lawsuit
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based
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toric
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Mr. Moore,
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were
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cusedGraham
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rival in American
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mathematician
and
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IN THE
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and
who
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researchtoric legal battle
overLATE
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were
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historic
legal
ent. To
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ac-embroiled
patent
through
George Westinghouse
were
in
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ing
and writing
fast-paced
about
the the
a surprising choice: Paul Cravath, then an unbattle
over
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cused Westinghouse,
hisbattle
rival
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26-year-old
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Law School grad.
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toric
legal
the
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produce
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lightbulb
That history sets the scene for “The Last
electrification,
of infringing on histechnology:
lightbulbventors
pat- the
Westinghouse’s
a billion-dollar
of Night,” Graham Moore’s second novel,
andEdison
their
race
to develop
technologies.
lion-dollar
technology:
themade
lightbulb.
acpatent
the
will
turn
“TheDays
Last
Daysthrough
of Night”
which will be published Aug. 16. Mr. Moore,
ent. To handle
his defense,
Westinghouse
defense.
lightbulb.
Edison
accused
Westwho isprotagonist,
34 years old, spent six years researchMr.
Moore
follows
Cravath,
his
cused
Westinghouse,
his
rival
in
American
lawyer
for Eddie
into
a
movie
starring
ing and
writing his fast-paced
tale about the
a surprising choice: Paul Cravath, then an unbetween
turn-of-the-century inason
he his
crosses
paths
with figures
such
as theAlexinghouse,
hisLaw
rival
in American
electrification,
infringing
lightbulb
patWestinghouse’s
Redmayne
aslitigation
Cravath.
tested 26-year-old
Columbia of
School grad.
ventors
and their race Shooting
to develop technologies.
ander Graham
J.P. Morgan, opera
Mr. Moore singer
follows Cravath, his protagonist,
electrification,
of
infringing
on Bell,
That history
sets
the scene
“The
Last
ent.
To handle
hisfor
defense,
Westinghouse
made
starts
in January,
a couple
ofAlexas hedefense.
crosses paths
with figures such as
Agnes
Huntington
and
Serbianander
Graham
Bell,
J.P.
Morgan, opera singer
Days of Night,”
Graham
Moore’
s second
novel,
lightbulb
patent.
handle
ahis
surprising
choice:
Paul To
Cravath,
then Nikola
an
un-Tesla,
Agnes Huntington and Serbianmonths
behind
born
inventor
who
which will be
Aug.Westinghouse
16. Mr. Moore, made
born inventor Nikola Tesla, who
hispublished
defense,
alternately rivaled and collabotested
Columbia
Law School
grad.
another
on the
alternately
rivaled
and collabowho is 34 years
old,26-year-old
spent six years
researchrated with both Edison and
a
surprising
choice:
Paul
Cravath,
Westinghouse.
That
history
sets
the
scene
for
“The
Last
subject,
“The
ing and writing his fast-paced tale about rated
the with both Edison and
The author has built a career
then
an
untested
26-year-old
recounting familiar tales from
litigation between
the
turn-of-the-century
inDays of Night,” Graham Moore’
s secondCurrent
novel, War,”
Westinghouse.
history through unexplored perColumbia
Law
School
grad.
ventors andwhich
their race
to
develop
technologies.
“This seems to be a
has
built
a careerspectives.
will be published Aug.The
16.author
Mr. Moore,
with
Benedict
mode of storytelling I’ve been
Mr. Moore That
followshistory
Cravath, his
protagonist,
sets
the recounting
scene
forfamiliar
to in my life, taking subtales from drawn
who
is 34
years
old,
spent
six years
researchCumberbatch
ject matter that at first blush
as he crosses
paths
with
figures
such
as
Alex“The
Last
Days of Night,”
Graham
like it should be painfully
history
through
unexplored
per-seems
ing
and
writing
fast-paced
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about
the
—
who played
dry,” he says. “The trick is to
ander Graham
Bell,
J.P.
Morgan,his
opera
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Moore’s
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will“This seems
spectives.
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Agnes Huntington
andsecond
Serbian- novel,
litigation
between
the turn-of-the-century
in- to —
its characters.”
Turing
as
filter the science underlying the there’s a lot of ‘Objection!’” said Noah Eaker, exection, news clippings, obituaries, scientific journals
mode
of storytelling I’ve been His first novel, the 2010 best
be Nikola
published
Aug.race
16. to
Mr.
Moore,
born inventor
Tesla,their
who
ventors
and
develop
technologies.
legal
dispute through
a charac- the
utive author
editor at Random House,
which autobiographies
bought the
from the period and Edison’
original three
patent. He
seller “The Sherlockian,” involved
legal
thriller,
and
of shis
drawn tosix
in myEdison.
life, taking sub-a missing diary belonging to Sir
ter who has to absorb the
manuscript for seven figures. “Instead we have
consulted with patent-law professors and elecalternately who
rivaledis
and34
collaboyears
old,
spent
Arthur Conan Doyle and exam
technicalities as the reader
fires and disappearances ”
trical scientists and visited the law firm where
Mr.
Moore
follows
Cravath,
his
protagonist,
Cravath
was
relies only occasionally primary inventors,
histories of
rated with years
both Edison
and
ject
matter that at first blush
researching
and
writing
as he crosses paths withseems
figures
as AlexMr.
on courtroom scenes. American electrification, news
Westinghouse.
likesuch
it should
beMoore’s
painfully
his has
fast-paced
tale J.P.
about
the litiThe author
built a career
ander
Graham
Bell,
Morgan,
opera“The
esinger
n ttrick
r e eis toi n t o
dry,”
he
says.
“You can imagine a clippings, obituaries, sciengation
between
the
turn-of-therecounting Agnes
familiar tales
from
Huntington
and Serbiansee the story from
the eyes
of
a
true
story
version of it where tific journals from the period
century
inventors and their
race
history through
unexplored
its who
characters.” rife with legal
bornseems
inventorbeperNikola
Tesla,
there’s a lot of ‘Objec- and Edison’s original patent. He
spectives. “This
a
to developtotechnologies.
filter thesaid
science
underlying
lot of ‘Objection!’” said Noah Eaker, execHis first novel,
thescientific
2010 best
alternately
and collaboand
tion!’”
Noah
Eaker, the there’s awith
mode of storytelling
I’ve rivaled
been follows
profesMr. Moore
Cravath,
legal dispute through a charac- consulted
utive editor atpatent-law
Random House,
which bought the
seller “The Sherlockian,”
involved
with
both
drawn to inrated
my life,
taking
sub-Edison and
details.
With
executive
editor
at
sors
and
electrical
scientists
and we have
his
protagonist,
as
he
crosses
ter
who
has
to
absorb
the
manuscript
for
seven
figures.
“Instead
a
missing
diary
belonging
to
Sir
ject matterWestinghouse.
that at first blush
the
lawyer
as
Random
House,
which
visited
firm where” Cravath
figures suchArthur
as AlexConan Doyle and exam
technicalities as the reader
firesthe
andlaw
disappearances
seems like paths
it shouldwith
be painfully
The author has built a career
dry,” he says.
“The trick
is to Bell, J.P. Morgan,
ander
Graham
recounting
familiar
tales from
see the story
from singer
the eyes
of
opera
Agnes Huntington
history through unexplored perits characters.”
and
Serbian-born
inventor
Nikola
His firstspectives.
novel, the 2010
best
“This
seems to be a
Tesla,
whoinvolved
alternately rivaled and
seller “The mode
Sherlockian,”
of storytelling I’ve been
collaborated
a missing diary
belonging towith
Sir both Edison and
drawn
my life, taking subArthur Conan
Doyleto
andinexam
Westinghouse.
ject matter that at first blush
The author has built a career
seems
like it familiar
should be tales
painfully
recounting
from
dry,”
he
says.
“The
trick
is to
history through unexplored
see
the story from
theseems
eyes of
perspectives.
“This
to be
its
characters.”
a mode
of storytelling I’ve been
His first
thetaking
2010 subject
best
drawn
to innovel,
my life,
seller
“The
Sherlockian,”
involved
matter
that
at first blush
seems
alike
missing
diarybebelonging
Sir he
it should
painfullytodry,”
Arthur
Conan
Doyle
says. “The
trick
is toand
seeexam
the story
from the eyes of its characters.”
His first novel, the 2010 best
seller “The Sherlockian,” involved
a missing diary belonging to Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle and examined
a death among Holmes diehards.
In 2015, Mr. Moore won the
his protagonist,
bought the manuscript practiced. Founded in 1819, the
Mr. Moore could filter the science for seven figures. “Instead we firm added Cravath’s name in 1901
underlying the legal dispute have fires and disappearances.”
and today
known
as Cravath,
the science who
underlying
s a lot of outwits
‘Objection!’” Cravath
said Noah Eaker,
newsisclippings,
obituaries,
scientific journals
through filter
a character
hasthe
to there’Edison
and exec- tion, &
Moore
legal dispute through a characutive editor at Random House, which bought theSwaine
from the
period LLP.
and Edison’s original patent. He
absorb the
technicalities
as
the
Westinghouse
with
legal
and
PR
ter who has to absorb the
manuscript for seven figures. “Instead we have
consulted
withmet
patent-law
The
author
with aprofessors
Cravathand elecreader does.
When as
Westinghouse
maneuvers
at every
technicalities
the reader
fires
and disappearances
” turn, all the
trical scientists and visited the law firm where
partner,
who revealed that the
explains the difference between while holding tight to his elecdirect and alternating current, tricity empire. But the author firm has a box of letters between
Cravath gets bored around the doesn’t take sides. “Edison, West- Cravath and Westinghouse, but
same time that the reader wants inghouse, Tesla — in their rivalry, Mr. Moore’s pleas to read them
to move on.
their great conflict, there is no were unsuccessful. Attorneyprivilege holds
even Eaker,
thoughexecfilter thevillain.
scienceThey’re
underlying
the ofthere’
s a lotclient
of ‘Objection!’”
said Noah
The 357-page novel has 72 short
all sort
right,
both
parties
are
long
dead,the
legal
dispute
through
a
characutive
editor
at
Random
House,
which
bought
chapters that often end on cliff- even though they all disagree
the partner.
terofwhoso
has
to absorb the he says.
manuscript
for seven to
figures.
“Instead“He
wewas
have
hangers. “Paul was in the midst
fundamentally,”
“At according
as the
reader
fires
and
disappearances
”
very
clear
with
me
that
under
no
unimaginable skulduggery,” technicalities
Mr. the end
something wonderful
Moore says. “Edison and West- is produced, and it’s something circumstances could I see these
inghouse had spies in each other’s wonderful that none of them letters,” Mr. Moore says. “I’m
hoping at some point now that
operations. They were trying to could have done alone.”
damage each other’s factories.
Edison kept diaries throughout the book is coming out that I can
He would have felt himself to be his life, which Mr. Moore trick him into leaving me alone
inside a thriller.”
consulted in fleshing out his in a room with this box for a few
Though the book reads like a character. He read biographies minutes.”
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SHAYAN ASGHARNIA FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
SHAYAN ASGHARNIA FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
The
EpicEpic
Battle
to
Light
Up
America
The
Battle
to
Light
Up Am
The Epic Battle to Light Up America
tion, n
from
consu
trical